What's The Best Way to Keep Fresh Cut Roses Alive Longer? We've Got Answers
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Whether they’re a gift from a loved one, a #treatyourself purchase, or a bouquet snipped from your own garden, roses make us happy! (Here's how to Plant Rose Bushes Like a Pro.)
Their fleeting beauty is part of their charm, but you can keep your cut roses alive longer with a little effort. “Changing the water and recutting the stems every few days will help your roses last as long as possible,” says Christina Stembel, founder and CEO of Farmgirl Flowers (one of our favorite flower subscription services). “If you’re taking proper care of your roses, you can expect them to last about a week.”
Ahead, follow Stembel’s tips for keeping your roses (and all cut flowers!) fresh:
How do I keep cut roses fresh?
First, make sure you have a clean vase ready; wash it out with soap and water, and rinse well. If you have one, use a little packet of flower food, which encourages buds to open and slows bacterial growth.
“Make sure you completely dissolve the food before the flowers go in,” says Stembel. “The best way to do that is to start with water on the warmish side, then stir in the food so it’s dissolved. If you skip this step, you risk clumps of flower food clogging the bottom of your stems and preventing the flowers from properly hydrating.”
Next, take your roses out of the packaging, and remove any leaves that would be below the water line. Then cut each stem at an angle with sharp scissors or pruning shears to maximize the surface area through which they will take up water. Keep the stems on the long side because you’ll need to trim them every few days.
Place the roses in the vase, and keep the arrangement cool—away from heating vents and out of direct sunlight.
Every few days, make a fresh cut to each stem, removing about ¼ to ½ inch each time. “When you cut the stems, it shortens the length that the water needs to travel to reach the heads of the flowers,” says Stembel.
Can you revive droopy roses?
We’ve all received a bouquet of roses, only to discover one or two drooping the next day. What’s up with that?
“All flower stems are very individual,” says Stembel. “The flowers themselves could be from different plants and sometimes even from different farms. The droopy ones may be older and closer to the end of their life cycles.”
As to whether you can revive those droopy roses: It depends! Are just the petals droopy, or has the stem started to bend?
“Roses have a woody stem,” explains Stembel. “If the stem itself is drooping, the flower is at the end of its life, and there’s not much to be done.”
However, if just the petals have wilted, it’s worth trying to help the flower recover. Simply Cut the stem a little shorter, change the water, and make sure the flower is still in a cool location out of direct sunlight.
What can you add to the water to keep roses fresh?
Social media is full of advice on additives (vodka, pennies, cola) “guaranteed” to prolong the life of your cut flower. But, honestly, most of these won't work, or will have negligible effects.
With the exception of a packet of flower food, fresh water is all you need. If you have packets, you can add one every time you change the water.
If you like the idea of a DIY flower food, however, Stembel has a recipe that will mimic the packets' effects: mix 1 teaspoon bleach, 1 teaspoon white vinegar, and 1 tablespoon sugar into 1 quart of water and use that to fill your vase. Don't forget to make sure the sugar fully dissolves before adding the flowers. That will feed the flowers and fight infection.
What can I do with my roses after they have faded?
If it’s a special bouquet, snip off the heads or individual petals and dry them to save them as a keepsake. (Here's our guide on how to dry flowers.) Or you can press them to give them a second life in projects such as framed wall art, or to decorate scrapbooking pages, note cards, or greeting cards. (Here's our guide on how to press flowers!)
They’re also beautiful secured in acrylic resin to create jewelry, coasters or ornaments. You can purchase a resin kit online that will help you with that project.
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